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Thursday, October 16, 2014

Alright, let me guess. It is
your birthday and you want to throw a party which people would remember for
life time and you don’t want to spend fortunes for it? Well, that’s a great
idea and who says only money can buy happiness. And when you can have all the
fun in a limited budget then why not? After all it is your special day and you
are the king of the world today. The rules are all yours.

So let us have a look at top
5 birthday party ideas which would
rock for your crowd and would be less expensive also. Firstly, let us cut down
on the money required to rent a venue. Decide upon a theme for your party in
which there is no need to rent a venue, but the place is readily available to
you. If you have managed to do that you have already saved a handsome amount.
And deciding on a spectacular theme, you will nail it completely.

1) Pool side party. You can have a pool side party in your
society pool. This would save you from the expense of spending on venue and
even décor. Everybody loves to splash in water and you can achieve that by
organising some games in the water. Of course you can mention to carry the
swimsuits in the invite. If people are enjoying themselves your party is
already a hit. Believe you me this theme would set the town on fire.

2) Retro theme. You can have this theme in your
house also. For a perfect ambience you can have dim lights and paper lamps. If
possible, take few print outs of old movies and fix it as part of décor. No
extra ‘kharcha’ on venue or décor. Add to the mood with having a retro dress
code and some games based on old movies and songs.

3) Dhaba theme. This is a guaranteed hit when it comes
to theme parties. Set up in a total ‘desi’ mood, this party theme can be
actually held at a dhaba. With this theme you not only save on venue and décor,
but also on catering as food from dhabas is quite inexpensive.

4) Biking theme.
This theme would go well with boys, but girls would also love to be part of it.
Plan a long group bike trip to the most picturesque places around and have a
cake cutting at the highway. I am sure this would be a totally unique and
unexplored idea. For the food part you can stop any descent place midway. This is my personal favourite theme.

5) Childhood theme. Although now grown up we always remember
our childhood days and are wishing to relive them. Going back in time is not
possible, but you can definitely get a feel with planning your birthday party
with revisiting childhood as the theme. With the obvious dress code you can
organise activities you did as kids.

But as every party needs
planning even your birthday party
needs detailing before the fun begins. So what are you waiting for? Indulge and
enjoy.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Well, it begins every time with a Thanksgiving to Write Tribe, so
I guess will continue doing that in this post also, as I am getting the opportunity
to express my gratitude towards one of the best selling authors today, Preeti
Shenoy. It was because of her that I got into blogging and it was
her book ‘Life is what you make it’ after reading which I checked out her blog which
was earlier known as justamotheroftwo. To tell you the truth and accept the
fact, that was my first encounter with the thing called blogging. Although I had
heard about it, but has some misconceptions about it. Completely intrigued,
reading her posts, checking out a new post every morning almost became a ritual
with me. And very soon the idea of starting a personal blog of my own started
seeping in. This appeared like an e-diary to me and as I was a diarist myself, blurting
out my choked feelings and thoughts into the web space where people were ready
to listen to me was an idea which completely possessed me and then this page
saw the light of the day out of my fantasies and experiences of life. So as
today, we are linking our post, firstly I would link to.Blog of Preeti

Secondly, being new to the bloggers world, I was attracted by the
various prompts which compelled to stir up new ideas and enabled to cook
stories and the first one to hit my digital space was Blogadda. Their weekend
prompts made me experiment with my own capabilities and I started dishing out
short stories. So I want to thank Blogadda for enhancing my blogging skills.

Nowadays, I am an active member on Indiblogger which is another amazing
site to connect with other well established and phenomenal bloggers, writers.

And I am now writing for Write Tribe also which has been churning
some wonderful prompts and I keep getting drawn and motivated to write. So
thanks, Write Tribe for this terrific opportunity.

Once I have written for Blog-A-Ton and have got a very good
feedback which leaves me inspired to keep writing for their future prompts.

Considering myself still an amateur in the blogosphere, I am
taking my own small steps to graduate and I am sure will grab more chances in
future to test myself on the scales of various Blogging sites.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Interpreter
of Maladies. A book by Jhumpa Lahiri, although I read this book sometime back
and kept thinking of posting a review, it didn’t actually happen. Thanks to
Write Tribe for giving this prompt about writing reviews and this was my
instant choice.

This
book found space in one of my most favourite books and made me an ardent fan of
the compelling writing of this amazing writer. Jhumpa Lahiri possesses a
magical quality of weaving tales which binds the readers, so artfully that the
reader longs for the narrative beyond the ‘what happens next’ approach. This is
a collection of short stories with each story such a scintillating prose, which
evokes images and feelings tapping into an overarching humanism. Interpreter of
Maladies, majorly a diasporic fiction, is articulated between the expected and
unexpected which makes an impact through spot-on, detailed observations laced
with humour and irony. It is the indelible writing style of the author which
struck the cord with me. Meandered along the sharply outlined and varied
characters, the simple and glinting prose presents a refreshingly unsentimental
approach to the plot. In her writing, environment and food played key roles in the story line. She
derives metaphor from them and the partition which is in the background
captures the cardinal emotions and makes them play a significant role. The
writer has beautifully divided the characters against the others and also
within themselves. The way Jhumpa Lahiri
has sashayed the elaborate reflection of life with a perfect eye for nuances
and ear for irony, it makes the readers glued to the book asking for ‘more and
more’. Her writing with an eye for detailing and impersonal comparison makes her
a dazzling storyteller and delivers distinctive lessons for budding creative
writers.

So
as this book is an anthology, speaking about each story won’t be possible so I will
restrict to speak about my favourite story which also happens to be the opening
story of the collection, A temporary matter. This is an engaging story of a
couple whose marriage has gone sour after the death of their unborn child. The darkness
in their life is symbolized by the power cut in their area, forces them to
enter into conversation which is about accepting few unspoken truths about their
individual life. The forced darkness in their life gives them the required space
to clear out the matters of disputes and other minor matters of life and helps
them to bring their dying relationship back to life. The lead characters Shoba
and Shukumar have their own share of secrets to share. In an almost duping end,
when Shukumar admits that he was there to see their dead child and reveals that
it was a baby boy, Shoba faces the truth which had become the root cause of their
parting ways.

The
story is a masterpiece and a must read for all book lovers with a literature bend.
In fact, as you read through the stories one will appear to be bettering the
previous one. Pick up this book if you have not on my recommendation.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Alright, so this is yet
another feather in the already adorned cap of Write Tribe. A quiet an
interesting prompt I must say. So here are we trying to find answers to our own
set of questions.

While we all seek answers to
our questions of our life, this I must admit is getting difficult to find a
question whose answer I am supposed to give. Should I answer a cushioney
question or delve into myself and dig into the deep corners of my existence to
ask myself a question which would be not so easy to answer?

Well, I choose the difficult
one and ask myself am I accepting defeat at the hands of times? Am I stuck in
my past and not coming to terms with my present?

It has been 2 years I left
my dream job in the forces and opted to stay at home to look after my kids (the
younger one just six months that time). And the decision was also taken to stay
with my Mr as both of us held forts of our nations at different places every
time and had not got the opportunity to stay together even after 8 years of
marriage that time. But although it was quiet a conscious decision, my hands
trembled while I signed documents of my release from the Army that day. My
heart pained when my I-Card (the most prized possession) was destroyed to ashes
in front of my own eyes (this is a procedure we have to follow. I-card has to
be destroyed to prevent any further misuse or security hassle). My last day in
uniform, I wanted to freeze every moment of that day, but as if it was slipping
from my hands like sand. When I sat on the chair, doing my last official
assignment, when I rang the bell and called for my runner to place the official
vehicle (assigned to the appointment, I was holding), I moving in my vehicle
and the guard at the sentry post offering me a salute. The whole day was as if
passing in slow motion with memories etching into my heart forever. Actually,
they have been there and not even a single day passes when I don’t remember
those days when I used to don the olive greens. Well, it is good to remember
one’s glorious past, but is it right to try and hold on to it so tightly that
there is no room left for the present to blossom? May be it is not right and am
trying to change it also but I guess the speed is very slow. The pride of
yesterday is making it a bit difficult to slog today for a better future. After
having led a life of so much of dignity and honor, at times it gets difficult
to start creating a niche all over again. I am trying to revive my writing
skills. Well, I have been good with expressing myself with written words
earlier also but being in the Army we get accustomed to writing in the Fuji style
and I have taken more than required time to get back to my old standards. Army
pays us quite decently, but after making those big bucks and a hefty salary
getting credited to the account at the end of every month, it gets very painful
to accept payments in peanuts even after sitting all throughout the day at
times for my content writing assignments. But I guess it’s a phase and have to
go through it. Afterall we don’t get everything in life as per our own wishes.
I could have worked outside after quitting job in the Army and earned double
the salary, but my kids would have been neglected so again a conscious decision
which I have taken to work from home has to be accepted in totality by me. I
have to work towards making this second profession work to regain that glory
and in a different world this time. And I am sure this will happen one day and
my secret shifters will come to life.

Thank you Write Tribe for
giving me an opportunity to face my own fears and put my own self in a position
to answer me.

This post has been written
on the Day 2 of Answer A Question – Rediscovering Your Blogging Groove Day 2.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 49; the forty-ninth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

Down the memory lane as I sit by

I want to hear you as I cry

Rapt in your thoughts I wait here for you

Some say I might meet you when the day is still new

With open arms I give you my hands

Hoping a ‘dhappa’, a sneaking look or whistle to tell
that you are near by.

The day is the same as it
was supposed to be and even the date. I was supposed to be here today to join
you in our new world. I know you did this all by yourself, decorating every
nook and corner of the house, keeping my favourite colours and lighting effects
in mind. Jai, I completely love our new home. It is so classy, specially the
new addition in the house. The mirror on the wall. Yes, I have seen the
surprise you have planned for me. I am sorry I removed the cloth to see that
mirror. Could’nt just resist opening it. It is awesome and compliments the
colour on the wall perfectly. You are so good at it Jai. Planning surprises for
me. The pictures on the bedroom wall, I like that you changed the arrangement
and added few from our last anniversary actually the first one. The charm of completing the first year of marriage never dies. What a foggy evening it was. Remember clouds touching at our doorsteps
where we sat twined up in that blanket. I think we should go to Mahabaleshwar
this chutti. I somehow want to relive those moments again. Yes we need to plan
it now. It is already September.

Well, the shelves in the
bathroom. I think we can put a small plant on it and some nice fragrance. And
yes I noticed the way you had folded the napkins in the basket there. You
learned it somehow. I think we can keep it permanently there so that there is
no need to keep running for it when there are guests coming over for dinner. And
I am glad you did not do the kitchen. I had a new layout in my mind. I know you
are a great cook but you always mess up my kitchen in the process. You have
done the terrace pretty well. But I need a fountain there in one of the
corners. But not like the usual one which we keep seeing in the cantonment
everywhere. We will do something different. I saw your favourite place on the
terrace from where you spoke each night. I was hoping to hear you whistling
there.

But where are you Jai? I
have been waiting here for past ten hours almost. You were not there to pick me
at the airport also. Oh! You had a sortie. I forgot. But I am waiting since
then. There were these whole lot of people who kept coming since I landed here.
They all seemed so sad with most of them teary eyed. Mrs Khanna said that your
chopper crashed today and you are no more. What rubbish? I told them that you
always play this hide and seek with me whenever I come back and today was all
the more special as I was joining you in this station for the first time since
you shifted here three months back. I guess this place keeps you quite busy.
Last time you came to see me in Delhi on my birthday, you looked tired. You had
lost some weight also. Don’t worry now I am here and I will see how you neglect
your health. But where are you? When I went to the washroom I thought when I
would open the door you would just scare me. But you did’nt. I have brought few
packets of those favourite flavoured tea of yours. Earl grey. In the evening I
made a cup of that. I was hoping that you would be watching me at the door as
you always do. I have been waiting for you for so long now. It is almost past
midnight but I am not sleepy. Mom, I don’t why she has been crying since
afternoon. Her left eye which got operated recently is so red. I tell her not
to cry but she had been on and on. She also believes Mrs Khanna. They made me
see a coffin at the mortuary saying it is you but how is that possible. That
cannot be you. That was not you. You are just trying to fool me. I am sitting here on the terrace
from where you spoke to me every day. I sit here with open arms. See I am now
closing my eyes and I know you will just come and do ‘dhappa’ on my palms. I
know you so well. Everybody says souls come to meet their beloved ones at this
hour. It is going to be dusk time now. Jai my eyes are closed. Please come and
tell this whole world that you are here and not gone. You are here with me
right now in this moment.

I knew you are here Jai. I
opened my wet eyes as I felt known warmth on my hands. But there with me stood
a still time.

Soon they will be getting
Jai to take him for his final journey.

P.S. Inspired from the true story of a martyr's widow.

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Participation Count: 01